342 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  8,  1903. 
packed  carefully  round.  In  finisliing  make  the  sides  steep  so  as 
to  well  drain  the  moisture  away. 
LEEKS. — Fully  grown  Leeks  may  he  further  blanched  hy 
earthing  the  stems  a  little  higher.  Accelerate  the  growth  of 
smaller  plants  by  applying  ii(|uid  manure.  The  will  develop  in 
size  throughout  the  winter. — East  Kent. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  bo  directed 
to  “The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Coert  Chamber.s,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discu.ssed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifi¬ 
able  trouble  and  expense.  In  naming  plants  we  only  undertake 
to  name  species,  or  well-marked  varieties,  and  only  six  on  any 
one  occasion.  Florists’  tiowers  we  do  not  name. 
NOETHERN  STAR  POTATO  (W.  H.  G.).— We  have  no  par¬ 
ticulars  of  this  Potato  beyond  those  which  we  have  given  else¬ 
where.  The  price  reali.sed  at  auction  implies  a.  small  quantity, 
working  out  at  £850  per  ton,  or  about  7s.  7d.  per  pound.  This 
indicate.s  a  Potato  craze  equal  to  that  obtaining  for  allotments 
or  small  holdings  in  the  Spalding  district  of  Lincolnshire,  where 
the  land  let  recently  at  auction  for  £5  7s.  per  acre.  The 
“  Gardeners’  Chronicle  ”  last  week  furnishes  a  history  of  the 
Potato. 
TECOMA  SMITHI  TREATMENT  (Foreman). — It  is  a  green¬ 
house  plant,  and  .succeeds  best  in  well-drained,  loamy  soil,  and 
requires  very  liberal  supplies  of  water  during  summer,  but  not 
needless  and  excessive  supplies  so  as  to  make  the  soil  .sodden  and 
sour.  M  e  advise  that  it  should  be  kept  moderately  diy  at  the 
roots  during  the  winter.  The  plant  grows  vigorously  under 
ordinary  treatment;  but,  in  order  to  insure  free  flowering,  the 
wood  must  be  thoroughly  ripened  by  being  exposed  to  sunlight 
and  air  during  the  period  of  growth.  It,  like;  the  other  Tecomas, 
succeeds  best  planted  out  in  a  well-drained  border,  and  not  given 
too  much  root-room,  otherwi.se  it  grows  rampantly,  and  produces 
flower.s  somewhat  .sparsely.  This,  however,  depends  on  keeping 
the  growths  well  exposed  to  light  and  air  during  the  summer, 
and  keeping  cooler  and  drier  in  autumn  and  winter.  A  figure 
was  given  in  our  pages  on  May  2,  1901.  It  is  grown  in  annual 
batches  from  cuttings,  as  a  single-steiumed  pot  subject,  at  Kew. 
M’INTER  DRESSING  FOR  VINES  (H.  C.  C.).— 1.  The  dress¬ 
ing  advi.sed  on  page  277,  and  applied  at  the  rate  of  4oz  to  8oz 
per  square  yard,  should  not  be  repeated  unless  4oz  of  the  mixture 
was  applied  per  square  yard,  then  you  may  apply  another  dressing 
of  4oz  per  square  yard  a.s  soon  as  convenient,  or  not  later  than 
the  pruning  of  the  Vines.  You  allude  in  your  letter  to  dissolved 
bones  and  kainit,  omitting  the  term  refined,  as  emploj’ed  by  us 
to  distingui.sh  the  difference  between  double  sulphate  of  potash 
and  magne.sia  and  ordinary  kainit,  as  the  latter  is  a  very  inferior 
article,  containing  much  less  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia, 
VIZ.,  23.60  per  cent,  sulphate  of  potash  and  14.50  sulphate  of 
magnesia,  while  the  chlorine  is  veiy  much  higher,  viz.,  chloride 
of  inagnesia  12.40,  and  chloride  of  sodium  (common  salt)  34.60. 
1  his  article  (ordinary  kainit)  we  do  not  and  did  not  advise  for 
Vine.s  or  fruit  trees  generally,  partly  on  account  of  its  contained 
chlorine  and  sodium,  and  particularly  because  it  does  not  contain 
half  the  amount  of  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia  as  the  double 
sul_phate  of  potash  and  magnesia  (refined  kainit),  a.s  given  on  page 
277.  Kainit  or  crude  potash  salts  have  special  value  for  Mangold 
Wurtzel  and  Cabbages,  also  for  mixing  with  new  or  raw  turf  in 
conjunction  with  basic  cinder  phosphate  for  forming  compost  for 
T  ine  borders,  but  for  fertilising  purposes  the  more  concentrated 
forms  of  potash  and  phosphates  are  imperatively  necessary'  to 
insure  speedy  and  certain  results,  such  as  sulphate  and  muriate 
of  potash  and  dissolved  bones  or  superphosphate.  On  account  of 
the  magiiesia  in  the  double  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia  (re¬ 
fined  kainit)  we  advise  it  for  Vines  in  preference  to  muriate  of 
potash.  2.  The  manure  quoted  on  page  277  would  answer  for 
Peach  trees,  though  for  these  and  fruit  trees  and  bushes  we 
advise  a  mixture  of  nitrate  of  soda,  L^-  part;  dissolved  bone- 
meal,  6  parts;  high  grade  mineral  .superphosphate,  3^  parts; 
muriate  of  potash,  3  parts;  kainit,  4  parts;  wood  ashes  (un- 
leaehed),  2  parts,  mixed,  and  applied  in  autumn,  or  not  later  than 
February,  at  the  rate  of  oewt  to  lOcwt  per  acre,  311b  to  71b  i>er 
rod,  2oz  to  4oz  per  square  yard.  This  manure  contains  1.9  per 
cent,  of  nitrogen,  8  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid,  and  11  per  cent, 
of  potash.  It  is  well  adapted  for  use  on  Gooseberries,  Currants, 
and  all  fruit-bearing  bushes  and  trees  ;  also  for  garden  vegetables 
in  connection  with  stable  and  farmyard  manure. 
DEFINITION  OF  DOME.STIC  SERVANT  (A.  C.  D.).— The 
words  “  Domestic  Servant  ”  apply  to  all  persons  employed  in  a 
domestic  capacity  in  connection  with  an  establishment  where 
servants  are  kept,  whether  indoor  or  outdoor,  male  or  female, 
hence  stablemen  and  gardenens,  head  or  under,  are  domestic 
.servants,  the  question  of  living  on  the  place  not  applying  to 
those  regularly  emxiloyed.  Hence  you,  as  an  under  gardener, 
are  a  domestic  .servant.  Of  course,  for  excise  purposes  only, 
males  are  liable  to  duty,  and  this  does  not  apply  to  helpers  in 
stables  or  labourers  in  gardens  living  off  the  place. 
ASH  TENNIS  COURT  (Alpha).— There  are  two  ways  in 
which  the  ashes  can  be  made  to  bind  together.  1.  Asxihalt. 
(a)  Take  eighteen  parts  of  mineral  pitch  and  eighteen  parts  of 
resin,  xmt  them  into  an  iron  pot  and  jilace  it  over  a  fire,  keep 
boiling  for  a  short  time,  then  add  to  it  sixty  parts  of  coar.se 
sand,  mix  well  together,  and  lay  it  on  the  path  to  the  thickness 
of  an  inch,  then  sift  a  little^  fine  gravel  over  it,  and  beat  it  in 
before  the  asphalt  sets,  (b)  Take  two  parts  of  very  dry  lime 
rubbish,  and  one  part  coal  ashes,  also  very  dry,  and  both  sifted 
fine.  On  a  dry  day  mix  them,  and  leave  a  hole  in  the  middle 
of  the  heap,  into  which  pour  boiling  hot  coal  tar,  mix,  and  when 
as  stiff  as  mortar  imt  on  three  inches  thick — the  ground  should 
be  perfectly  dry'  and  beaten  smooth — sprinkle  over  it  coarse 
sand.  When  cold  pass  a  light  roller  over  it.  In  a  few  days  it 
will  be  solid  and  waterproof.  2.  Cement.  The  ground  being 
made  level,  and  three  or  four  inches  of  rough  material,  but 
broken  small,  on  top,  put  in,  and  well  rammed,  place  on  about 
llin  thickness  of  one  iiart  by  measure  of  Portland  cement  and 
two  of  coarse  sand  and  fine  gravel  mixed  to  a  thin  consistency 
with  water.  Before  this  coating  has  become  thoroughly  set,  lay 
upon  it  a  coating  of  Portland  cement,  mixed  with  an  eiiual  part 
of  fine  sand  and  ^in  thick  in  a  mortar-like  state,  smoothing  over. 
Or  take  equal  jiarts  of  gravel,  well  screened,  and  clear  road  or  pit 
sand.  With  five  iiarts  of  the  mixture  of  gravel  and  sand  mix 
one  xiart  of  Portland  cement.  Mix  with  water,  and  ax^x^ly  2in 
thick.  You  may  form  a  liquid  of  Portland  cement  and  run  it 
on  the  ashes.  This  would  certainly  cause  the  sui'face  to  bind, 
and  being  made  smooth  and  even  answer  for  a  time.  The  better 
plan  would  be  to  add  one  x^art  of  Portland  cement  to  five  xiarts 
of  ashes,  and  place  on  3in  thick.  The  ashes  may  also  be  treated 
with  boiling  coal  tar,  x^utting  down  3in  thick,  the  ashes  being 
thoroughly  dry'.  The  smell  of  tar  and  of  x’itch  is  sometimes 
objected  to,  hence  lawn  tennis  ground  is  usually  cemented.  So 
far  as  we  are  aware  there  is  no  better  material  for  making  the 
lines  than  liquid  whitewash.  Sometimes  wood  on  edge  is  laid  on 
the  cement  to  indicate  the  lines,  and  these  painted  white,  or 
kexit  white  by  timely'  attention  by  the  chalk-marker. 
PLANT  FOR  PLANTING  AGAINST  A  BARBED  MHRE 
FENCE  TO  AFFORD  A  PAYING  CROP  (R.  S.).— As  the  posi¬ 
tion  is  exposed,  we  fear  Rasxiberries  would  not  answer,  as  they 
are  liable  to  be  much  battered  by'  strong  winds;  indeed.  Rasp¬ 
berries  naturally  are  copx^ice  plants,  where  they  grow  in  patches, 
and  have  a  certain  amount  of  shelter  without  overhanging  .shade. 
Unle.ss  very  bleak  the  Rasxiberries  might  succeed,  the  fruiting 
canes  being  secured  to  the  vires  of  the  fence,  and  a  strong¬ 
growing  variety  selected.  Norwich  Wonder,  scarlet,  fruit  large 
and  well  flavoured,  robust  grower,  is  largely  grown  in  field 
Xilantations,  and  is  one  of  the  hardiest,  though  x^erhaxis  excelled 
by  Superlative,  a  robust  grower  and  very  heavy'  cropper,  the 
canes,  being  stout  and  reaching  to  a  height  of  6ft  or  more, 
support  themselves.  The  fruit  is  good  either  for  dessert  or 
kitchen  x^urxioses,  being  large,  conical,  and  handsome,  and  the 
plant  bears  drought  well,  and  the  beri'y'  is  not  liable  to  mould  or 
rot  in  wet  weather.  If  you  have  command  of  both  sides  of  the 
fence,  this  variety  we  advise,  contingent  on  the  position  not 
being  very  bleak.  Similar  remark  axiplies  to  Blackbemies,  the 
fruit  being  often  .small  and  battered  by  wind  in  exposed  xjlaces. 
Fnless  very  bleak,  they  do  well.  The  Parsley-leaved,  a  strong 
grower  and  large  fruited  kind,  is  the  best,  and  probably'  no 
plant  gives  such  a  large  quantity  of  fruit.  It  is  well  adapted 
for  a  fence,  being  of  climbing  habit.  By  Hybrid  Rppberry- 
B’ackberry',  we  assume  you  mean  the  Loganberry',  which  bears 
veiy  freely',  treated  like  a  Rasxiberry'.  The  fruit  is  borne  in 
clu.sters,  and  is  long  and  dark  in  colour,  being  valuable  for  cook¬ 
ing  or  jam,  and  when  black-rixie  useful  for  dessert.  Of  its  value 
for  exxiosed  xdaces  we  have  no  exxierience.  For  a  very  exxiosed 
Xicsition  no  tree  equals  the  Farleigh  or  C’rittenden  Damson,  and 
treated  similarly'  to  a  rough  Thorn  or  overgrown  hedge  is  an 
excellent  and  x^rofitable  barrier,  as  it  bears  enormously',  is  fine 
for  xii'eserving,  and  a  very'  lucrative  market  sort.  It  should, 
however,  only  be  xdanted  where  the  owner  or  occuxiier  claims 
both  sides  of  the  fence,  and  the  position  is  not  near  a  road  or 
footpaths,  for  near  these  it  is  only  growing  for  trouble  and 
others’  benefit,  roadside  xdanting  being  very  delusive. 
